Hanger for conveyor track



June 12, 1956 5, w SJOBQEN 2,750,143

HANGER FOR CONVEYOR TRACK Fi led NOV. 12, 1955 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent .0

2,750,143 HANGER FOR CONVEYGR TRACK George W. Sjoboen, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to Steel Door v Corporation, Pontiac, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application November 12, 1953, Serial No. 391,615

3 Claims. (or. 248-317) This invention relates to a hangerfor conveyor track, the hanger being especially adapted for use where the track is suspended from joists or similar members of a building.

An exemplary application of the hanger lies in suspending the rear portions of the tracks of an overhead type garage door from the garages joists. Where the track suspension means is adapted to connect to a particular part of the track such as the end of the track remote from the doorway, and where upon installation that part does not happen to fall immediately beneath a joist, it is frequently necessary either to shift or alter the track or to build a special support into the garage, thus adding time and expense to installation of the door.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device, both inexpensive and simple of application, which can be secured selectively to any location on a conveyor track so that the track may be conveniently suspended from existing joists in a building. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates the device of this invention used for suspending the track of an overhead garage door.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the track suspension structure.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the hanger of this invention with associated elements shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is an illustration of a blank from which the hanger parts are stamped with the stamped out portions shown in broken lines.

Fig. 1 shows a garage door of the overhead type having a panel supported by an arm 2 which is vertically pivoted on the door frame 3. A counterbalance spring is shown at 4. On the door panel 1 are rollers 5 which ride rearwardly in conveyor tracks 6 when the door is opened and forwardly when the door is closed. When the door is in open position its rearward portion is supported by the tracks which in turn are suspended from joists 7 by means of straps 8 and 9 and the hanger device 10 of this invention.

The hanger 10 has a hanger member 11 with a body portion 12 and a downwardly extending hook portion 13. The inner surface of the hook 13 has a generally fiat inner side 14 and an angularly shaped lower end as shown at 15 to conform nicely to the shape of the track (Fig. 3).

A clamp member is shiftably secured to the hanger member 11 by bolts 21 extending through openings 22 in the body portion 12 and through slotted openings 23 in the clamp member. The lower end surface 24 of the clamp member is shaped to fit the top of the track 6 and a finger 25 depends from the lower end of the track to overlie and engage the upper, outer flange portion 26 of the track (Fig. 3). The hanger member 12 and clamp member 20 are of plate form and are preferably stamped from a single piece of stock 27 in a single stamping operation, that portion of the stock cut away to form the hook 13 comprising the clamp member (Fig. 4).

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In use the hanger member 12 and the clamp member 20 are assembled with two perforated metal straps 8 and 9 of a standard commercial type by bolts 21, one strap 8 being secured by both bolts and the other strap 9 by one bolt only (Fig. 2). The openings 22 and 23 in the hanger and clamp members respectively are spaced to align with the perforations 30 in the metal straps. The parts are loosely secured together by nuts 33 threaded onto the bolts 21.

The track 6 is nestled within the hook portion 13 of the hanger by slipping the hanger over either the side or an end of the track. With the forward end of the track positioned to receive a roller 5, the hanger 10 is slidably moved along the track until it is beneath any conveniently located joist or other support 7 above the rearward half of the track (Fig; 1). The upper end of strap 8 is fastened to the support 7 generally vertically above the hanger 10 and strap 9 is fastened to the support angularly as shown in Fig. 2 to provide lateral stability for the track. The straps are fastened to the support by suitable means such as nails or screws 35 to suspend the track in a generally horizontal. position.

The track 6 is firmly secured within the hanger 10 by shifting the clamp member 20 downwardly into firm engagement with the top of the track so that the track is clamped between the surface 24 and finger 25 of the clamp member and surfaces 14 and 15 of the hook portion 13 of the hanger member. The nuts 33 are then tightened to retain the hanger 10, track 6 and hanger straps 8 and 9 in firmly engaged relation.

Such terms as upward, downward, rearward and forward, are used in this application as convenient terminology and not as delimitations.

I claim:

1. A hanger for conveyor track of channel form having a back portion and upper and lower flanges with its channel opening laterally comprising, a first plate having a hook formation which opens laterally through one substantially vertical edge thereof, said hook formation being in the lower portion of the plate and adapted to receive the track with the back portion of the channel thereof positioned next adjacent the back of the hook formation so that the hook formation and the channel both open laterally in the same direction, a second plate disposed in interfacial relationship with the upper portion of the first plate, the vertical dimension of the hook formation being greater than the vertical dimension of the track, the lower end portion of the second plate adapted to project downwardly into the upper portion of the hook formation and having a lower edge for engaging the upper flange of the track, the second plate having an edge extending generally in a vertical direction, said edge projecting laterally beyond the edge of the first plate through which the hook formation opens, said edge of the second plate having a finger depending therefrom adapted to overlap the edge of the upper flange of the track, and means for slidably connecting and for clamping the second plate to the first plate, whereby the second plate may be shifted to and clamped in track engaging position with its lower edge engaging and its finger overlapping the upper flange of the track.

2. The hanger as recited in claim 1 characterized in that the means for connecting and clamping the second plate to the first plate comprises a plurality of bolts passing through apertures in the plates and further characterized in that some of the apertures are elongated and the apertures in at least one of the plates are offset from the vertical center line thereof.

3. A hanger for conveyor track of channel form having a back portion and upper and lower flanges with its channel opening laterally comprising, a first plate having a hook formation which opens laterally through one substantially vertical edge thereof, said hook formation being in the lower portion of the plate and adapted to receive the track with the back portion of the channel thereof positioned next adjacent the back of the hook formation so that the hook formation and the channel both open laterally in the same direction, a second plate disposed in interfacial relationship with the upper portion of the first plate, the vertical dimension of the hook formation being greater than the vertical dimension of the track, the lower end portion of the second plate adapted to project downwardly into the upper portion of the hook formation and having a lower edge for engaging the upper flange of the track, the second plate having an edge extending generally in a vertical direction, said edge of the second plate having a finger depending therefrom, said edge of said second plate being disposed generally proximately to the edge of the first plate through which the hook formation opens, so that said depending finger overlaps the edge of the upper flange of the track,

.4 and means for slidably connecting and for clamping the second plate to the first plate, whereby the second plate may be shifted to and clamped in track engaging position with its lower edge engaging and its finger overlapping the upper flange of the track.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 430,672 McGregor June 24, 1890 1,046,903 Travalled Dec. 10, 1912 1,202,640 Ahlander Oct. 24, 1916 1,327,981 Bruns Jan. 13, 1920 1,482,308 Lieberenz Ian. 29, 1924 1,561,755 Tasefi Nov. 17, 1925 1,740,727 Dunlap Dec. 24, 1929 1,764,071 Foulke June 17, 1930 2,045,100 Robinson June 23, 1936 2,208,358 Chandler July 16, 1940 2,626,454 Richardson Jan. 27, 1953 

